1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to digital photography and coded image reading. More particularly, the present invention relates to a modular image capture and processing system capable of capturing both photo and coded images. The system employs a common photo-detector, image processor and interface circuitry to capture and process the photo and coded images. The present invention further relates to a system for capturing a plurality of images, both photo images and coded images, displaying the plurality of captured images as directed by a user, for selectively processing the images to detect codes and for allowing a user to select one or more of the images for transfer or decoding.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of electronic equipment to capture images in a digital format is well known in the art. Digital cameras capture images and store the captured images in an electronic format for future use. Coded image capture and decoding systems capture coded images, may comprise one or two dimensional coded images, and decode the captured coded images to reveal information contained within the coded images.
Digital cameras and coded image capture and decoding systems typically each include a processing unit, memory, a user interface and at least one data link. Both coded image capture and decoding systems and digital cameras employ photo-detectors to convert focused visual images into electronic representations of the images ("captured images"). A photo-detector may comprise a single photo-sensitive element such as those used in laser scanning systems or may comprise an array of photo-sensitive elements such as charge coupled device (CCD) elements. In a typical image capture device having a CCD array, the cost of the CCD array alone typically exceeds the cost of all other components combined.
Captured image capture requirements for photo images differ significantly from those of coded images. Image framing, focus and exposure requirements in the capture of photo images depends only on a subjective evaluation by a user made after a photo image has been captured. For coded image capture, however, a captured coded image is only considered satisfactory if it can be decoded. For example, a photo image of a distant mountain having insufficient resolution to reveal a small stone at the peak often proves satisfactory to a user. However, a distant coded image must be resolvable to prove satisfactory.
Conventional digital cameras capture photo images at the initiation of a user. Typical digital cameras respond to the depression of a button by immediately capturing a single photo image. At some time thereafter (often days later), the user views the results, identifying defects in the captured photo images. Such defects may arise from: 1) a user's improper operation of the digital camera; 2) jitter introduced by the user due to human stability limitations; 3) shaking caused during the depression of the button; 4) movement of the object being photographed; or 5) digital camera limitations. No matter what the source of a defect, the user must reattempt the entire process of attempting to capture an acceptable image. In many situations, such reattempts are undesirable, if not impossible, to perform because defects are not detected until the opportunity has passed.
Upon initiation of a user, conventional coded image capture and decoding systems repeatedly capture and attempt to decode coded images until an attempt proves successful. Typically, a user directs a coded image capture and decode device at a target containing a coded image, depress a capture and decode button and hold the button until a successful decode occurs. Because decoding is performed on each captured coded image regardless of its quality, decode processing is often performed on poor quality captured coded images and non-coded images. Such futile processing wastes power which, in portable coded image capture and decoding system, detrimentally shortens battery life.
The use of service, installation and delivery personnel to conduct business at customer sites is also well known. Such personnel typically travel to a customer's site to install, repair or deliver goods or to perform other services. The retrieval of information from customers' sites relating to site characteristics is often required and performed by the personnel that travel to the customer. For example, a bakery may desire to know the size and location of shelf space which has been allocated to it at each of the retail locations that distributes its goods. The bakery may also desire pricing and shelf spacing information regarding its competitors at such the retail locations. This information may be later used to present, distribute and price produces in the locations. Conventional approaches require that the bakery's delivery personnel manually collect the information and deliver the information to the bakery for correlation and review. Similarly, in another example, service personnel may visit a customer's site and, upon analysis of the service to be performed, may need advice or information regarding how to proceed. Often times, to get such advice, one or more trips by such service personnel between a service center and the customer's site is performed to enable the carrying out of the services.
Because of the additional reporting and information gathering responsibilities, many personnel carelessly perform information gathering and retrieval tasks, often making mistakes. Others falsify information to save time, by either not having to gather the information while at a site or not even having to visit the site at all. Such carelessness and falsification occurs because both the manual gathering and delivery of such information is time-consuming and the carelessness and falsification cannot easily be detected.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a system that captures images, decodes images when appropriate, transmits images when appropriate and otherwise performs processing functions as required to retrieve and process information.